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During cold weather, moisture content of the atmosphere decreases, rendering the atmosphere dry. This dry atmosphere, coupled with winds, blows the moisture away from your skin and water is lost from your skin cells, more specifically, from keratinocytes. This makes your skin feel sore and appear dull. In some cases, cracks resembling fine fracture lines of cracked porcelain vases can appear on your skin

This dry skin causes itching, rubbing on which can cause areas of thickened and rough skin, commonly known as lichenification.

It is important to treat your dry skin as soon as possible. Using only water to solve this can actually worsen the problem by removing the essential skin oils from the surface of your skin. Instead, you can use bath oils to protect your skin. Bath oils not only protect the skin and nourish it, but also have many other benefits:

• Bath oil makes our body immune to various bacterial and viral attacks and is more beneficial than synthetic skin products.
• Bath oil also improves blood circulation by dilating blood vessels.
• Bath oil increases movement in joints and reduces pain.
• Bath oil neutralizes the effect of gravity on body and slows the ageing of your skin.

There are a number of bath oils available and you can choose any of them as each bath oil has its own benefits. Some of the most widely used bath oils for protecting your skin from wrath of winters are:

1. Argon oil: Also known as liquid gold, Argon oil is extracted from kernels of Argon tree. With high in vitamin E and fatty acids, Argon oil is mostly suitable for moisturizing and softening dry skin. It is used widely in moisturizing lotions, but using it in its native form is more effective. It can also be applied on hair as a hair conditioner.

2. Lemon and Honey oil: Both lemon and honey have proven health benefits and are very good anti-oxidants. A combination of lemon and honey is widely used to rejuvenate skin. Honey, being a natural humectant helps in keeping your skin moisturized by retaining moisture in your skin. Lemon and honey oil keeps the skin wrinkle free and reduces acne, pimples and blackheads.

3. Lavender and YlangYlang oil: Lavender oil possesses antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties and thus helps fight bacteria that cause acne. It is very useful to reduce symptoms of eczema and provides relief from itching. Ylang ylang oil is an anti-seborrhoeic, antiseptic, antidepressant, and aphrodisiac substance. It helps control oil production by skin, helps regenerate skin cells and improve skin elasticity. A combination of lavender and ylang ylang oil is very beneficial to the skin and can be used by people of any skin type.

4. Fennel oil: Though fennel is more popularly used as a mouth freshener, it is beneficial for your skin too. It can treat wrinkles and weakness of connective tissue, making your skin appear more refreshed. It also tones facial muscles. Getting a cut on your skin during winters takes double the time to heal and thus can do double the harm. Fennel oil helps the skin recover from cuts and bruises at a much faster rate.

These bath oils will be beneficial if used atleast 4 times a week. If your skin has already become dry, you should avoid going outside and take more care of your skin. You can also use any moisturizer along with these bath oils.